novel
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"Rubica?"
Angela called Rubica who had stopped combing and was in a daze.
"Oh, sorry, sorry. I must be a little tired."
Angela's calling brought Rubica to her senses. Thinking about it again, it felt so strange. She was combing Angela's hair here, without a single wrinkle on her face...
However, the Rubica of the present didn't even have the luxury of doing nothing and being lost in thoughts. For now, she started to comb Angela's hair.
'I cannot remember yesterday's hairstyle... '
Nevertheless, the moment she touched Angela's soft hair, her anxiety and confusion melted away. That softness calmed her down.
Oh, when she sometimes thought about her, she would recall Angela's hair rather than her eyes and nose.
She started combing the hair and sprinkled rose water on it to enhance its softness and elasticity. Soon its scent filled the air.
'I'm happy. '
Rubica enjoyed working on Angela's hair. Her hair was fancy top-grade that was worth taking care of. Rubica could even endure her uncle and aunt using her as a housekeeper as long as she could do Angela's hair.
Her hands started to move busily. Although she couldn't remember, her hands knew what to do. All the Berners had soft but thick hair. So, the style had to show its richness. Rubica started to use the comb to skillfully pump up the hair and braid it.
"Huh?"
"I think it isn't yesterday's..."
"Shhh!"
The maids on both sides were about to point out the style wasn't yesterday's, but Angela stopped them. The style was definitely not yesterday's.
'... pretty. I like it. '
Angela was once again impressed by Rubica's skill. She wasn't just braiding the hair. She was making Angela's somewhat round face look cuter and more attractive.
Not anyone could do that.
While Angela was satisfied with her new hair, Rubica was going back on her memory as she did her hair.
'Was it a dream?'
She could still remember every part of it as if it had been only yesterday. The wounded recovering with Rubica's warm, caring aid, and the priest who insisted they couldn't forget the god's teachings in any suffering.
And Arman, who was always there when Rubica looked. She felt pain in her heart at recalling him. She was most certainly standing there, doing Angela's hair, but that reality felt far away just like a dream. It was so strange that her fingers, doing Angela's hair, didn't have any wrinkle.
What had happened? She might have lost her senses while looking at her mirror and had a long trip of daydreaming, but what she had felt was so real.
Arman... Arman... was just dream? No way.
Rubica finished doing Angela's hair. She then opened the accessory box to give it the final touch. Her head was full of thoughts about Arman and her new reality, so she couldn't decide on a pin for a long time. No hairpin in the box caught her eyes.
'They aren't right. '
In the Kingdom of Seritos, Rubica's homeland, frugality was a virtue. However, as the Berner Family had been in the trading business for generations, the accessory box was full of hairpins that were way too fancy for Angela's status.
'They all look expensive, but they are not for the color of Angela's hair. '
Then, she spotted a silk ribbon next to the box that was tied around a comb and an iron.
It was pale gold, and it fitted Angela's hair.
Angela had the lively energy of spring. Silk knots that dance with the breeze would be better than a pin made of cold gem...
When her thought reached that point, her hands moved first. Half in a daze, she made a knot with the ribbon. It was different from the normal knots used to decorate sofas and curtains.
She tied four, five times, made the end dance with the wind, and put it on Angela's hair using a pin.
"What is this?"
Angela frowned at first to see an unfamiliar knot on her hair. Then, she shook her head from side to side. The gold ribbon started to play hide-and-seek behind her red hair as if it was shy.
"Hmm..."
It was witty and pretty. The gold light that remained after the ribbon moved made her hair look brighter and livelier.
"I think it's good."
"Yes, Ms. Angela. It fits you very well."
"It is so pretty."
Unlike Angela and her maids, who were in joy, Rubica was shocked to see the knot she had made.
'That's... '
***
A sailor without legs who had been recovering at the abbey had taught her how to make that knot. He was from Phanas Island and had made all kinds of knots since he was young. He got his ideas from the knots used to tie furniture and hair. Then, he invented a knot that did nothing but just looked luxurious.
-Oh, Mr. Chris. That is?
-Ah, I used to tie the anchor like this sometimes, just for fun.
The sailor smiled shyly and tried to cover the knot he had made as a pastime. However, Rubica was fascinated by that knot. Her eyes sparkled.
-I want to tie like that, too. Please teach me.
-... but this knot isn't even strong.
-But it's pretty.
Pretty. The sailor got a compliment he thought he would never hear. He scratched his face in embarrassment, but he willingly taught Rubica how to tie that knot.
'That happened when I was... about forty. '
In reality, the Rubica of her present age didn't know that knot. The maids and Angela didn't know it, either. They were so impressed, wondering how Rubica had thought of tying silk like that and looked at the ribbon gently moving on Angela's hair. 'It isn't something like a dream you briefly dreamt. It all really happened. '
Rubica's hands started to shake. The knot on Angela's head was saying so. However, she didn't want to admit it. If all that really had happened... everyone in the room...
The girl, poor Angela will...
"Rubica?"
Rubica wasn't applying the soft cream on Angela's neck and hands. So, she looked back with wide eyes.
Then, her big green eyes spotted something shining on Rubica's chest. It was a ring with a stone that looked like a piece of blue sky. It was linked to a golden chain and was hanging on her chest. Angela stretched out her hand to snatch that beautiful ring.
"Give it to me!"
When she failed to get what she wanted, she lost her temper and stomped her feet on the console table.
The little tyrant of Berner Family.
Although Rubica sometimes told her she couldn't behave like that when she threw a tantrum, she always gave in to what she wanted. She had just backed off because she was surprised to see Angela suddenly reaching out to her. She tried to soothe her and looked down to see what she wanted. She was going to give it to Angela, as usual.
However, when she saw the ring hanging above her chest, her eyes shook hard.
Oh... this is...
"No!"
The moment she checked what it was, she tightly grabbed it to not have it taken away from her. It was the blue ring Arman had always worn.
'Why is Arman's ring... '
She couldn't believe it. She couldn't think straight because too much information was swirling in her head, but she knew one thing. She couldn't give up that ring, ever.
Angela was the one who was shocked. Rubica had always given her anything she wanted, no matter what it was. But now, she was glaring at her, her lips tightly shut and her eyes full of tears!
She was so shocked that she forgot to stomp her feet and stared at Rubica. Then, her maids started to get nervous. Angela would nag at them for the whole day whenever she got angry.
Pleading to their master and their mistress about the little girl's behavior was no good. They just smiled and thought it was their cute daughter's charm. However, Rubica was the Cinderella of the Berner Family. The maid who was holding the accessory box glanced at Angela and started speaking.
"Ms. Angela just wanted to take a look at the ring. Did you really have to speak like that?"
"You could have expressed yourself in a nicer way..."
"Yes, it is not elegant to express your anger to your younger cousin."
They were both speaking for Angela. She looked at them and then turned to Rubica.
Today's Rubica was different from the usual. She had willingly given Angela anything, even when she wanted what her mother had left to her, saying 'If you want it... ' but now, she was holding that ring tightly as if the persuasion and accusation of the maids could not make her change her mind.
Angela got mad. It was just a stone ring, Rubica doesn't know what I am thinking!
"Fine! I don't even want to look at you."
She looked away and told Rubica to leave. Rubica was rather relieved to see she was giving up on her ring. One of the maids rubbed Angela's neck and hands with cream and glanced at Rubica. It meant she had to leave before something bigger happened.
Rubica was about to obey the little tyrant and leave the room. But things were extremely strange, so she asked one of the maids, "Where's my aunt?"
"She is at the drawing room with her husband. They are meeting a guest."
A guest, so early in the morning? And they hadn't politely pointed out how rude that visit was but met that guest in the drawing room. What was going on?
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